1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to selected phenolic novolak resins made from 5-indanol. Furthermore, the present invention relates to radiation-sensitive compositions useful as positive-working photoresist compositions, particularly, those containing these phenolic novolak resins and o-quinonediazide photosensitizers. Still further, the present invention also relates to substrates coated with these radiation-sensitive compositions as well as the process of coating, imaging and developing these radiation-sensitive mixtures on these substrates.
2. Description of Related Art
Photoresist compositions are used in microlithographic processes for making miniaturized electronic components such as in the fabrication of integrated circuits and printed wiring board circuitry. Generally, in these processes, a thin coating or film of a photoresist composition is first applied to a substrate material, such as silicon wafers used for making integrated circuits or aluminum or copper plates of printed wiring boards. The coated substrate is then baked to evaporate any solvent in the photoresist composition and to fix the coating onto the substrate. The baked coated surface of the substrate is next subjected to an image-wise exposure of radiation. This radiation exposure causes a chemical transformation in the exposed areas of the coated surface. Visible light, ultraviolet (UV) light, electron beam and X-ray radiant energy are radiation types commonly used today in microlithographic processes. After this image-wise exposure, the coated substrate is treated with a developer solution to dissolve and remove either the radiation-exposed or the unexposed areas of the coated surface of the substrate.
There are two types of photoresist compositions--negative-working and positive-working. When negative-working photoresist compositions are exposed image-wise to radiation, the areas of the resist composition exposed to the radiation become less soluble to a developer solution (e.g., a cross-linking reaction occurs) while the unexposed areas of the photoresist coating remain relatively soluble to a developing solution. Thus, treatment of an exposed negative-working resist with a developer solution causes removal of the nonexposed areas of the resist coating and the creation of a negative image in the photoresist coating, and thereby uncovering a desired portion of the underlying substrate surface on which the photoresist composition was deposited. On the other hand, when positive-working photoresist compositions are exposed image-wise to radiation, those areas of the resist composition exposed to the radiation become more soluble to the developer solution (e.g., a rearrangement reaction occurs) while those areas not exposed remain relatively insoluble to the developer solution. Thus, treatment of an exposed positive-working resist with the developer solution causes removal of the exposed areas of the resist coating and the creation of a positive image in the photoresist coating. Again, a desired portion of the underlying substrate surface is uncovered.
After this development operation, the now partially unprotected substrate may be treated with a substrate-etchant solution or plasma gases and the like. This etchant solution or plasma gases etch the portion of the substrate where the photoresist coating was removed during development. The areas of the substrate where the photoresist coating still remains are protected and, thus, an etched pattern is created in the substrate material which corresponds to the photomask used for the image-wise exposure of the radiation. Later, the remaining areas of the photoresist coating may be removed during a stripping operation, leaving a clean etched substrate surface. In some instances, it is desirable to heat treat the remaining resist layer after the development step and before the etching step to increase its adhesion to the underlying substrate and its resistance to etching solutions.
Positive-working photoresists are generally prepared by blending a suitable alkali-soluble binder resin (e.g., a phenolic-formaldehyde novolak resin) with a photoactive compound (PAC) which converts from being insoluble to soluble in an alkaline aqueous developer solution after exposure to a light or energy source. The most common class of PAC's employed today for positive-working resists are quinone diazide esters of a polyhydroxy compound. Typical novolak resins used today for positive-working resins are made from various mixtures of ortho-cresol, meta-cresol, and para-cresol which are condensed with an aldehyde source (e.g., formaldehyde).
Positive-working photoresist compositions are currently favored over negative-working resists because the former generally have better resolution capabilities and pattern transfer characteristics.
Photoresist resolution is defined as the smallest feature which the resist composition can transfer from the photomask to the substrate with a high degree of image edge acuity after exposure and development. In many manufacturing applications today, resist resolution on the order of one micron or less are necessary.
In addition, it is generally desirable that the developed photoresist wall profiles be near vertical relative to the substrate. Such demarcations between developed and undeveloped areas of the resist coating translate into accurate pattern transfer of the mask image onto the substrate.
Increased resolution has been noted in positive photoresist systems whose novolaks possess a high degree of ortho-, ortho-bonding. The term ortho-, ortho-bonding is used to refer to the location and positions of attachment of the methylene bridge between phenolic nuclei. Thus, the methylene bridge which connects two phenolic nuclei which is ortho to both phenolic hydroxyl groups is regarded as ortho, ortho.
It is thought that ortho, ortho-bonding increases the interactions between phenolic hydroxyls in the novolak and the photoactive compound in positive photoresists compared to positive photoresists containing novolaks which lack a high degree of ortho, ortho-bonding in their micro-structure. Although the exact character of these interactions is speculative, e.g., hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, and the like, there is a correlation between increased resolution and contrast observed in these positive resists whose novolaks contain a high degree of ortho-, ortho-bonding compared to positive resists whose novolaks lack this high degree of ortho-, ortho-bonding.
The optimum number of ortho, ortho-bonds necessary for optimum interaction between the PAC and the novolak not known. However, it is noted that novolak resins which have a very high percentage of ortho-, ortho-bonding (e.g., a very high content of para-cresol in the novolak) appear to result in photoresists having scum (i.e., undesired residues in the exposed and unexposed areas). Accordingly, having the optimum number of ortho, ortho bonds distributed properly may minimize or eliminate this scum problem.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/713,891, entitled "Radiation-Sensitive Compositions Containing Fully Substituted Novolak Polymers" filed the same day as this application and assigned to the same assignee, is directed to making and using novolak resins containing a mixture of selected monofunctional and difunctional phenolic monomers with controlled ortho-, ortho-bonding. That U.S. patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 5-Indanol is one species of one particular class of difunctional phenolic monomers disclosed in that U.S. patent application. Besides being useful in making those particular fully substituted novolak resins, it is believed that 5-indanol may be useful in making other novolak resins which are also useful in radiation-sensitive compositions. Thus, the present invention is directed to making novolak resins in general from 5-indanol.